Class Action Lawsuit GM: Engine, Transmission, OnStar

Case	Powell v. General Motors LLC (consolidated 6.2L L87 V8 engine class action)
Court	U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
Status	Pending, not accepting claims yet
Claim deadline	None announced
Estimated payout	Not announced
Proof required	Not stated
How to file	No claim form available

General Motors (GM) settlement facts, last verified September 29, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page.

If you searched for a class action lawsuit GM will pay you from right now, the answer in September 2026 is no. When we checked settlement sites and court coverage this month, no General Motors settlement was taking new claims. Three disputes are pending: the 6.2L L87 engine case, the 8-speed and 10-speed transmission suits, and the OnStar driving data litigation. You don’t have to sign up to be included, so the main job now is keeping your repair records.

Which GM Case Matches Your Problem?

Each case covers one engine, transmission, or data program, not every vehicle GM sold. Find your row.

Your issue	Case	Where it stands
6.2L engine knocking, seizing, or recalled	Powell v. General Motors (Michigan)	Pending, motion to dismiss filed
8-speed shudder or harsh shifts	Speerly and Ulrich (Michigan)	Pending, certification vacated
10-speed erratic shifts or power loss	Napa Valley G Experience (California)	Pending, filed April 2026
OnStar or Smart Driver data sold	MDL 3115 (Georgia)	Pending, most claims survived
5.3L oil burning, Bolt EV battery, shifter	Siqueiros, Hampton, Bolt, Jefferson	Settled, claims closed

The 6.2L L87 V8 Engine Lawsuit

This is the largest pending case. About a dozen suits from owners were combined before Judge Shalina D. Kumar in Michigan, with a consolidated complaint filed February 26, 2026. Plaintiffs say the L87 engine loses lubrication between the crankshaft and its bearings, causing sudden engine failure, lost power, or fire.

The automaker recalled 597,630 vehicles in April 2025 (NHTSA recall 25V-274) after 28,102 field complaints. Covered: 2019 to 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, plus 2021 to 2024 Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade models.

The fight is over the remedy. Dealers scan for trouble code P0016; with it, the engine is replaced, and without it, the truck just gets thicker 0W-40 oil. GM moved to dismiss on June 8, arguing the recall fixes the problem. Got the oil change and failed later anyway? That’s the exact pattern plaintiffs are arguing, so keep the invoice.

GM Transmission Class Action Cases: 8-Speed and 10-Speed

No transmission case has paid anyone yet. The biggest, Speerly v. General Motors, covers roughly 800,000 owners of 2015 to 2019 models with 8L45 or 8L90 automatics that shudder or shift harshly.

Judge David Lawson certified 26 statewide groups in 2023, and a Sixth Circuit panel agreed. Then the full Sixth Circuit, sitting en banc, vacated it on June 27, 2025. Its reason matters for your odds: one shared “defect” isn’t enough, so plaintiffs must prove each state’s own legal elements. Expect slower, state-by-state tracks. A companion suit, Ulrich, covers the other states.

The 10-speed suit, filed in the Northern District of California, targets the 10L80 unit co-developed with Ford. It alleges violent shifts and power loss, after recalls for units that could briefly lock the rear wheels.

OnStar Data: Lawsuit Money vs. Government Penalties

The OnStar case is alive, but the two government deals pay drivers nothing.

Private suit: About 30 cases sit in MDL 3115 before Judge Thomas Thrash in Atlanta. Smart Driver data (braking, speeding, late-night trips) allegedly went to LexisNexis and Verisk, and insurers raised premiums. A spring 2026 ruling let over 40 claims proceed, including Wiretap Act counts.
FTC order: The Federal Trade Commission finalized a 20-year order on January 14, 2026, banning sales of driving data to consumer reporting agencies for five years. No refunds.
California penalty: $12.75 million paid to the state in May 2026, a record under the California Consumer Privacy Act. None goes to drivers.

Settlements That Already Paid (or Are Stuck)

Every recent deal is past its claim deadline. Here’s where the money stands for owners.

5.3L LC9 oil consumption (Siqueiros): $150 million, at least $2,149 each, for 2011 to 2014 trucks bought in California, Idaho, or North Carolina. Reissued checks expired September 24, 2026; leftover money funds a second payout.
Oklahoma LC9 (Hampton): $24.88 million, about $815 per vehicle, mostly paid automatically.
Chevy Bolt EV battery: $150 million, paying $1,400 if the software was installed by December 31, 2023, or $700 if you sold it or ended a lease before the fix. Final approval came in December, but payments are on hold during a Sixth Circuit appeal.
Shift to Park (Jefferson and Riley): $500 plus up to $375 in repairs for some Malibu, Volt, Traverse, Blazer, and Acadia models.

A $35 million Duramax CP4 fuel pump deal also closed. Still unpaid? Contact the administrator, such as the Siqueiros settlement site, and see how long these cases take.

What to Do While These Cases Are Pending

You can’t claim before a settlement, but you can protect your spot. Qualifying buyers are usually included automatically, as our page on how to join a settlement explains.

Run your VIN through NHTSA’s recall lookup and get any open recall done.
Keep every dealer invoice and towing or rental receipt, since settlements usually reimburse documented costs.
Ignore sites charging a fee to “join.” Official notices never do.

Most guides skip this: a pending group case doesn’t block your state’s lemon law or warranty rights today. Those are separate, faster paths, and an attorney can say whether opting out of a future deal makes sense.

Your next step: find your issue in the table above, save your repair paperwork, and check our settlement deadlines list every few weeks. When a class action lawsuit against GM finally settles, the claim window may be short, and people with receipts in hand usually collect the most.

GM Lawsuit FAQ

How much will I get from a GM class action?

Nothing yet from the engine, transmission, or OnStar cases, since none has settled. Recent deals paid about $815 in Oklahoma, at least $2,149 in the three-state LC9 case, and $700 or $1,400 per Bolt EV.

How do I join the GM transmission lawsuit?

There’s no sign-up for the 8-speed or 10-speed suits. If a court certifies a group including your vehicle, or a deal is reached, notices go out with claim steps. Law firm intake forms aren’t claim forms.

Is GM sending out settlement checks?

Yes for the LC9 engine settlements, which began paying in December 2025. The Bolt EV battery payments are on hold while an appeal is pending.

This page summarizes public information about cases against GM. It isn’t legal advice; for your own vehicle or claim, talk to a licensed attorney.

GM Class Action Lawsuit: Engine, Transmission, and OnStar Cases